By Reem Malaeb | Staff Writer

The emergence of a sudden artistic drive in certain dementia patients, notably those afflicted with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), remains a compelling area of exploration. As exemplified by the Die-hard star Bruce Willis’s battle with FTD, this disease’s cruel impact extends beyond cognitive decline to occasionally spark a surprising burst of creative talent in visual arts among affected individuals. It’s a phenomenon where dormant creative abilities seem to be unleashed by a condition that diminishes verbal capabilities.

FTD manifests in various neuronal loss patterns, with distinct impacts on the temporal and frontal lobes of the brain. Degeneration in the temporal lobe, responsible for language processing, results in challenges with communication—ranging from speech production difficulties to comprehension issues. Simultaneously, deterioration in the frontal lobe disrupts social behavior, empathy, and decision-making since this lobe is involved in the complex interplay of brain areas that help balance baser desires and urges[1].

The occurrence of newfound strengths, such as artistic creativity, alongside the more commonly observed deficits in dementia, presents an unusual yet potentially crucial signal of neurodegeneration. Neurologist Bruce Miller [2], director of the UCSF Memory and Aging Center and co-author of a study published in JAMA Neurology, suggests that such developments might serve as early indicators for monitoring or treatment of the condition.

Research utilizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine the brains of distinct groups—FTD patients with and without artistic abilities, alongside healthy individuals—revealed noteworthy insights. Notably, FTD patients exhibited reduced volume in the left temporal lobe, with a more pronounced atrophy observed in those showcasing artistic talents within the FTD group. These findings suggest a potential correlation between impaired temporal lobes and enhanced visual processing. Further investigation revealed a positive association between the volume of the dorsomedial occipital lobe and the motor cortex controlling right-hand movement among visual artists with FTD[3].

Combining all results together, scientists arrived again at the “superior visual perception hypothesis.” Vision demands a lot of our brain’s computational capacity—so much that we often close our eyes to concentrate on our surrounding environment specifically on what we hear, whether it is music, speech, birdsong or crashing waves[3]. According to the evolutionary hypothesis, when our species first began to develop language, the brain diverted computational capacity from visual processing to bolster this new activity! Consequently, this hypothesis offers a compelling explanation for the surge in creativity witnessed in dementia patients, shedding light on an intriguing aspect of some neurological conditions.

[1] F. Soltan, “New insights into why some dementia patients develop increased interest in art – updatehealth.org: Health & Wellness,” UpdateHealth.org | Health & Wellness, https://www.updatehealth.org/blog/7tsez8n8dvv6kz2h1pltshvbexavss (accessed Dec. 28, 2023).

[2] Why some dementia patients begin to create art – The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/08/10/frontotemporal-dementia-visual-creativity/ (accessed Dec. 28, 2023).

[3] R. Martone, “A rare form of dementia can unleash creativity,” Scientific American, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-rare-form-of-dementia-can-unleash-creativity/ (accessed Dec. 28, 2023).